New England’s NCAA tournament hopefuls

With the regular season winding down, college basketball conference tournament season is almost upon us, with the NCAA tournaments right around the bend. The next week will play a major role in deciding which teams make the men’s field of 68 that will aim for the Final Four in Arlington, Texas. Though it’s not usually the most popular region for teams in the tournament, New England has a fair share that could get into The Dance. Here’s a look at those with the best chances.
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Jessica Hill

UMass-Amherst

Conference: Atlantic 10

In the midst of its best season in a decade, UMass-Amherst has all but secured a spot in the tournament, with ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan listing it as “a lock.” Led by Chaz Williams (pictured), Cady Lalanne, and Sampson Carter, who all average more than 10 points per game, UMass was ranked as high as No. 13 in the Associated Press poll this season. UMass put together a strong win earlier in the year against New Mexico, its only game against a ranked opponent. While No. 10 Saint Louis rules the Atlantic 10, UMass has played well, and there will be a showdown in Amherst March 9 between the schools before the A10 tournament starts March 12. UMass is looking to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.
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Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe

Harvard

Conference: Ivy League

With no league tournament to determine an automatic bid, the Ivy qualifier is the regular-season champion, and Harvard is in the driver’s seat to take the league title and clinch its third straight NCAA berth — after not making the tournament since 1947. Harvard faces a tough test in the final week, however, as it travels to New Haven Friday to take on Yale, which is looking to steal the NCAA bid. But Harvard can clinch the league with one more win. The Crimson shocked the college basketball world in last year’s tournament, as the No. 14 seeds upset No. 3 seed New Mexico for Harvard’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Harvard suffered a major blow to its defense when junior Kenyatta Smith sustained a season-ending foot injury Jan. 26 against Dartmouth, in his first game back since injuring the foot five days before the season opener.
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Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Boston University

Conference: Patriot League

In its first year in the Patriot League after leaving America East, Boston University heads into the league tournament in prime position to capture the automatic NCAA bid. The tournament is played at campus sites of the higher seeds, so No. 1-seeded BU has the advantage of hosting every game it plays. BU is 9-4 at home this year, with losses coming at the hands of Harvard, Norfolk State, Lehigh, and Bucknell. The Terriers went 15-3 in their first year of Patriot League play, while sporting an overall record of 22-9.
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Jessica Hill

UConn

Conference: American Athletic Conference

UConn looks to be in a strong position for the NCAA Tournament, most likely for an at-large bid. It was only a few years ago that the Huskies, seeded ninth in the Big East tournament, ran the table, winning the conference tournament after having to play in the opening round, then rode that momentum all the way to the NCAA title. UConn ends the regular season Saturday on the road against defending national champions Louisville, but holds the upper hand in AAC tournament seeding over No. 21 Memphis, whom the Huskies defeated in both regular-season meetings.
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Gerry Broome

Vermont

Conference: America East

Vermont continued to show why it has been the class of America East over the past decade as it beat Stony Brook last week to capture its sixth conference regular-season title since 2002. Vermont earned the No. 1 seed in the America East tournament, facing off against No. 8 seed New Hampshire in the opening round. Though the goal is the NCAAs, Vermont did secure a spot in the NIT should it not qualify for the NCAA. The biggest threat to Vermont is Stony Brook. The teams split their regular-season meetings, each winning on its home court.
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AJ MAST

Providence

Conference: Big East

The Friars right now are on the outside looking in but could get a spot in The Dance with a big performance in the Big East tournament. They not only survived, but thrived in a tough Jan. 18 matchup against Doug McDermott and Creighton, upsetting the nation’s 20th-ranked team by 13 points. They face Creighton again Saturday, this time on the road, in the last game of the regular season, which should give them a good idea of where they stand heading into the postseason.
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Fred Beckham

Yale

Conference: Ivy League

Harvard may be the class of the Ivy League, but Yale is right there with the Crimson, and with a few things going right in the final week of play, the Bulldogs could sneak their way into the NCAA Tournament. Sitting in second place in the Ivy League, Yale has a chance to take the conference with a strong last week, coupled with a win over Harvard at home Friday. The Bulldogs have hope, as they already defeated the Crimson earlier in the year, in Allston. Yale needs help, though. It not only needs to beat Harvard, but also must hope for a Brown victory over Harvard, combined with a win of its own against Dartmouth. Then there would be a one-game playoff with Harvard to decide who gets the NCAA spot. But, as Jim Carrey says in “Dumb and Dumber,” “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
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Carlos Osorio

Holy Cross

Conference: Patriot League

There is an outside chance, but a chance nonetheless for Holy Cross, which is locked in as the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League tournament. Holy Cross will host No. 6 seed Lehigh in the quarterfinals Wednesday, and would most likely need to take down both Boston University and American in order to secure the league’s automatic NCAA berth. Holy Cross finished the regular season 12-6 in league play, with an overall record of 18-12.
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Timothy D. Easley

Hartford

Conference: America East

This may be a stretch, but as they say, it ain’t over until the fat lady sings. Hartford is in the middle of the pack for the America East tournament, securing the No. 3 seed after taking down UMBC, and will face No. 6 Binghamton at home in the opening round. Hartford struggled early in the season but turned it on late and could make a push with some upsets in the conference tournament. The road is challenging, as it will almost certainly run through both Stony Brook and Vermont.
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